The synthetic approach to polyketide antibiotics has been to develop nucleophilic acyl equivalents (i.e., masked carbonyls that give the carbonyl carbon nucleophilic character) to introduce the proper oxygenation patterns. The most successful to this point have been the preparation of acetylenes that will hydrate in a regiospecific manner (eqn 1) and the alkylation and subsequent hydrolysis of allenic carbanions (eqn 2). The scope and limitations of these new synthons will be evaluated.